World Mental Health Day is an initiative that raises awareness of mental health across the globe. This annual event campaigns against stigma and discrimination relating to mental health issues. What’s more, World Mental Health Day advocates action, guiding people towards the support and assistance they may need. At Varn we believe it’s an important date in the calendar.
As a company we recognise mental health is a serious consideration within our workplace and that taking as many steps as we can to help positively manage mental health is beneficial to everybody in our team. As the mental health charity Mind puts it on its website, “If you look after your employees’ mental wellbeing, then levels of engagement will rise and so will staff morale and loyalty, innovation, productivity and profits.” This is a statement that Varn fully subscribes to.
To mark 2023’s World Mental Day, which this year falls on October 10, we have invited Katie from the excellent Noue Yoga to the Varn offices to run a desk yoga session. It’s an activity that members of the team are looking forward to with varying degrees of excitement and trepidation. Yoga is acknowledged as being good for relaxation, and research studies also reveal that it is effective both as a stress-buster and a mood-enhancer. Katie has promised to explore a number of mindful movements and breath-work techniques with us that will be sure to give our mental wellbeing a welcome boost. This year Varn has also offered an annual subscription to the mediation app Headspace to all members of the team looking for a mindfulness uplift.
Mental health is clearly an all-year round concern and at Varn we are committed to creating an environment where mental health issues can be openly discussed. As our Managing Director Tom Vaughton explains:
“A full-time employee can spend up to 70% of the day that they are awake either at work, travelling to/from work or thinking about work. It is, therefore, imperative that all managers look at time and money spent on wellbeing and mental health as not only an investment but also the right thing to do. Your work impacts your life for better or for worse. In the past, employees have been lazy and have not wanted to take responsibility for their team’s physical and mental health. This shouldn’t be the case in 2023!”
To this end, the company possesses a mental health policy that outlines the company’s provisions to prevent and address mental health issues within the Varn team. To back this up, if necessary, we will also provide a Reasonable Adjustment Passport for any of our team who are suffering from poor mental health.
On top of those safeguards, we have two members of the Varn team who have completed the Mental Health First Aider qualification, courtesy of the St Johns Ambulance, and are available to colleagues for raising issues and signposting to support. The company also provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that includes confidential health assessments, counselling and a 24-hour hotline for personal crises.
To sum up, we take mental health in the workplace seriously at Varn, and are very happy to find time to celebrate an important initiative as World Mental Health Day. As a company we wish good mental health and wellbeing to all.
With three national websites and a franchise based business model, Bristol based The HR Dept is really several campaigns rolled into one. After two years working with them, we have delivered an 80% year on year increase in goal conversions and numerous wins for their franchisees and we still have so much more to achieve for this market leader in HR services.
“We have been extremely pleased with the guidance and expert knowledge provided by Superb Digital. They are always quick to respond and very proactive in their approach. Since working with them for the last couple of years we have seen very positive results. Thank you Paul, Joe and the team.”
FELICITY KENNY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE HR DEPT
The HR Dept is a national franchise providing HR consultancy and related services for SMBs up and down the UK. Established in Bristol (where the head office still resides) in 2002 by Sue Tumelty, the company quickly grew into a franchise based business, with individual HR directors heading up their own territories across the UK, Ireland and Australia. These individual franchises are small companies in their own right, with many employing several support staff.
In November 2021, The HR Dept Group Ltd became an employee ownership trust.
The HR Dept’s brand presence consists of three websites: The HR Dept, The Health and Safety Dept and Franchise recruitment.
Unlike the first two, whose audiences are the end users, franchise recruitment targets HR professionals looking to set up their own HR consultancy business.
Having three websites to work on was a huge challenge, as each in itself is a huge project with different requirements and challenges.
Despite previous work with a number of Search Agencies, The HR Dept hadn’t received much strategic advice, as both the HR and HS Dept websites had little search visibility around most of their key services, some of which had huge traffic potential.
A major challenge identified from the outset was duplicate content. The company’s websites were set up to effectively host each franchisee territory on their website as a separate area of the main website. With over 60 active franchisees, this meant every single piece of content on the main site was replicated 60 times over.
This was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the work that lay ahead. Other issues included no analytics or goal conversions set up, localisation issues, the sheer volume of rankable content topics to cover, not to mention the challenge of promoting the strategically vital HR recruitment side of the business, which has little to no search volume.
So with three websites to look at and a finite budget, we focused our energies on the HR and HS Dept sites first.
After dealing with duplicate content and other technical SEO challenges, the vast majority of the work would be centred around building out The HR Dept’s content. Whether that was localising franchisee areas of the site, improving existing service pages, or creating expert guides to supplement service pages, the issue was content. Or rather a lack of it.
Another element of the campaign was promoting the franchisee sections of the website. The HR Dept’s business model sees franchise fees go towards national marketing, but with many franchisees in highly competitive regions or cities, we hit on the idea of creating franchisee packages, to supplement this to any franchisees that wanted it. The take up was encouraging and we’ve seen some great successes with individual franchisees.
The franchise recruitment strategy has focused on developing the brand with content created through interviewing franchisees and senior personnel at head office. We have had great feedback so far but it’s early days and we look forward to working more closely with The HR Dept on this area in the coming months.
We have well and truly achieved great results for the HR Dept website, with an 80% increase in enquiries and 60% increase in organic traffic for The HR Dept site. HS Dept, which had far less SEO work done to it when we took this on it should be pointed out, has seen a massive 492% increase in organic traffic.
The localisation work we have done for the franchisee pages on the main HR Dept site, has also had a huge impact, with many of them coming from nowhere to rank in positions 1-3 for local HR related search terms in their area.
All of this has led to a surge in enquiries for The HR Dept’s franchisees, such as:
As we continue to grow topic clusters around key services, we expect The HR and HS Dept’s national search presence to continue its upward trajectory, with more business generated for their network of franchisees as a result.
At the same time, we are now turning our attention (and budget) towards really pushing the franchisee recruitment side of the business, in order to attract new franchisees to take on this growing demand.
Over the last year, mustard jobs have seen a surge in activity within the events industry across the UK. With Brexit, Covid and the Cost of Living Crisis significantly affecting the rate of movement within the industry in recent times. We’re breaking down the current trends, salary expectations, candidate availability and industry growth of the events sector.
At the beginning of the year we saw various external factors make candidates more hesitant about moving roles. Even though the cost of living remains high, the UK hasn’t plunged into a recession yet so candidates are maneuvering in the market again.
The events industry is booming across the UK, and Brand Experience within London remains a particularly busy sector for the mustard team for permanent and contract roles.
Covid-19 has become a memory of the past and as a result the Tradeshow Exhibition industry is back and better than ever. Virtual Broadcast has maintained popularity within the corporate space as streaming functionality is more accessible than ever. This has provided continued success for global brands looking to improve sustainability, reducing flights and event waste.
Whilst London still remains the hub of the event sector, other areas such as Manchester, Leeds and Bristol are seeing sharp growth, fueled by increased flexibility to work from home post pandemic. As a result, we’re seeing top talent move away from London.
Firstly, Sustainability. Eco washing has become a prevalent issue across the industry, with brands implying sustainability rather than working on making real positive change. As more candidates in the industry are looking to work within an actively sustainable organisation, being certified as B-Corp or part of an industry specific sustainability group such as Isla, will ignite candidate attraction.
Next up, Flexibility. As a lot of employees within the sector devote their weekends and evenings to meet the demand of the job, working the ‘allotted’ 9-5 are becoming increasingly difficult to adhere to whilst maintaining a work-life balance. As a result, there is increased pressure on employers to offer flexible hours to align with this.
The digital age has taken events to the next level. Consequently, employers are looking for event professionals with a mix of digital skills, the more digital integration the better. AR and VR offer interactivity that will engage audiences across the entire industry and showcasing any digital skills will give your CV the edge. This could include anything from working on virtual events, website registrations, video content, motion graphics, graphic design, animation and 360 photography.
Salaries have gone up drastically when comparing the mustard XP salary guide from 2021 to 2023. As an example, a Mid-weight 2D Designer working in London in 2021 would be earning around £28,000 – £36,000 but in 2023 they’re more likely £40,000 – £50,000.
This could be because a lot of candidates left industry during the Covid-19 lockdown period for job security elsewhere so there is smaller pool of candidates, as a result employers are battling for the top candidates, offering higher salaries to entice them into their role. As the industry has bounced back in full force the demand for skilled candidates has increased.
“The Experiential, Events and Exhibitions industries have fluctuated dramatically within my five years as a recruiter in this space. We’ve seen various highs and lows across the industry over the last few years, but now is such an exciting time to be expanding your business or to move into a new role.”
– Jamie Rogers, XP Divisional Lead at mustard jobs.
So, you’ve fist punched the air, danced around the kitchen (in virtual times) and called the CEO. You’ve just received an RFP from a prospect client who needs your full suite of services, in a sector you know inside out! You’ve nailed it, but in truth the way you respond NOW is what really counts!
As the guardian of the relationship, you have probably been speaking with the prospect for months, maybe years, so you know more about that person, their challenges and business needs than anyone else. Therefore, you need to step up and lead the pitch team. That doesn’t mean you deliver the presentation or lead the project, your role may differ, but you make it happen!
I’ve been in this position many times, it’s a responsibility so I hope these tips, will help you and the team get the pitch over the line.
1. Set out a project plan from the off, including timelines and dates for key deliverables such as; agreeing the team, collating questions, the client’s responses, schedule internal meetings, proposal structure, developing content and uploading final document. If it’s a procurement portal it can be a nightmare. Highlight gaps in your capabilities early so solutions can be put in place.
2. Set up a shared file, template and communicate the process. The worst thing possible is to lose or duplicate content, it’s happened!
3. Gather the right team and make sure they are prioritising the response. If you need specialists, bring them in from the off. Agree R&R and when content will be available. Timing is key for content. For example, agreeing the process and team is required before you can create the pricing matrix.
4. Continually review the RFP, agreed & play back to the team the key client deliverables. Think about how to structure the response to answer their questions and make it easy to follow.
5. Identify early on what your USP’s will be and where you can really add value. It may be specific “tools”, data/insights or a process that you adopt. Showcase your IP.
6. Show a granular understanding of consumer trends and how you can help them harness trends and innovate to connect better with their consumers.
7. Remote pitching makes it even more tricky to maintain the attention of the audience and demonstrate your business culture. Try to reduce words and introduce other forms of comms such as video’s, infographics and animation that is relevant, short and reflective of your culture.
8. Be clear about your commitment to the prospect client and how your input will truly benefit their business in 1yr, 2yrs and 3-years’ time.
9. Invest time and money to make the document on brand, accurate, engaging, consistent, formatted beautifully so the content SHINES.
10. Make sure you are part of the final document sign off and attend the presentation. You have built trust with the prospect and you must make sure that all your knowledge is reflected in your response.
GOOD LUCK!
This is in no way an exhaustive list, every pitch you do you learn something new. I’d love to know what you would add to the list?
As an agency I’m sure you are continually asking yourself where is the next piece of work coming from and how are you going to attract new clients? But often the day-to-day pressure of delivering great work gets in the way.
If you’re holding back on launching a new business strategy don’t 🚀
This is the time to fully invest in powering up your new business machine. There are customers out there, buying habits may have changed but with Zero market presence how are they going to find you?
Start with crystal clear thinking; who is your ideal client? How can you best add value for them?
With a tough market you will need to be more creative, relevant and consistent in your approach.
Adopt an agile approach, continually reviewing and refine your proposition, approach and tactics. Listen to the feedback you are getting and really use these insights to develop that robust new business pipeline!
New business is not the responsibility of one person it’s a team effort so get everyone involved and accountable.
A few things to think about:
😍 Build deeper, stronger relationships with Current & Lapsed Clients:
Love them, keep close to them and support them. Understand their objectives whether it be personal or business. Make them look great and shine.
Always ask clients for a referral this is a source that can just keep giving.
Continually extend your network within your client. Get under their skin, there will always be new opportunities in other departments & regions.
Try new things, use insights to develop new services or tools. You may be sitting on a gold mine.
💥 Be Bold with New opportunities:
Do your homework to truly understand their pain points. Ask direct questions that demonstrate that you really understand their business.
Be prepared to go that extra mile to prove your value. Things may take longer but stick with it.
Don’t be lazy and rely on virtual meetings. Invite them into your offices and involve your best talent. People buy people.
Don’t hide your success under a bushel – Be BOLD and proud and talk about your talent, best work, awards and values.
🤗 Re-establish your Networking:
Always make time to speak with your network, you never know what the next conversation will unearth.
Add value to your network by offering them something say … speaker, judging, podcast.
When reconnecting always ask for something, whether it be time in the diary or a referral. People like to help.
We learnt from the pandemic that those agencies that proactively engage with new and current clients reap the benefits.
Start today and fuel up your new business engine. Stick with it and it will deliver new clients, new work and give you a better night’s sleep 😴
Hospitality, retail and branding designers Phoenix Wharf have completed a clever and colourful refurbishment of hospitality outlet Old Chang Kee in Covent Garden. The Singaporean family-run operator opened its first two UK stores in Covent Garden’s New Row in 2018 and on Goodge Street, also in London, at the end of 2019. The client, UK franchisee Sandra Leong, commissioned Phoenix Wharf to redesign the Covent Garden site earlier this year to improve spatial issues and make the store more modern and memorable. The fast-turnaround project has seen most of the new interior and furniture pre-assembled off-site to minimise store closure times and to allow the venue both to close and re-open over the course of August, with minimal final refinements completed in September.
‘The Old Chang Kee food offer had been incredibly well-reviewed since the brand opened in the UK’, Phoenix Wharf Creative Director Emma Carter explained. ‘The logistics of the existing Covent Garden site, however, offered definite room for improvement, with the store’s small existing servery counter, for example, necessitating people having to queue outside and stand aside each time someone came out. The interior colours were rather muted and the menus not clearly visible until you were inside, making the offer challenging for anyone previously unfamiliar with it.’
Old Chang Kee was originally established in Singapore in 1956 in the form of a humble stall, quickly becoming famous for its curry puffs – the Singaporean answer to the pasty, samosa or empanada. The stall attracted customers from far and wide, including many British people before the dissolution of the Crown colony in 1963. Expansion over the following decades saw the brand become a recognisable staple of Singaporean street life nationwide.
The brand’s UK outposts feature a grab-and-go concept with the aim of making authentic Singaporean street food accessible to customers in London and the UK. Its signature curry puffs – hot, buttery pastry with a spiced filling – have been lauded by eminent food critics including Giles Coren, Fay Maschler and Marina O’Loughlin. Also available on the menu are other classic Singaporean favourites, such as Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) and Laksa (rice noodles in a coconut curry broth).
The Phoenix Wharf team looked to the history and traditions of the Singaporean Shophouse in their design approach, where street food was served from ground floor premises with living quarters situated above – a set-up very much mirrored by the Covent Garden location.
The client brief was to create a more contemporary look for the outlet, moving away from the existing understated magnolia interior, decorated with lots of trinkets and wood, which had made the look and feel a little too obviously traditionally Singaporean. The Covent Garden location also has lots of local competition, with the road becoming a real foodie destination in recent years. The venue definitely needed to stand out more therefore, as well as to be easier for customers to access – and more efficient for the operator in terms of ordering and service fulfilment.
‘A clear balance needed to be struck between retaining Old Chang Kee’s brand essence and heritage and creating the desired more modern look and feel’ Emma Carter commented. ‘The bright yellow of the fascia is an established brand colour and had to stay, for example, although the tone needed to be punchier and make more of a statement, as the previous fascia had been too pale. We also introduced a blue secondary colour to the interior for the first time. This immediately adds a more contemporary note, as well as working well with the yellow. The blue has been used for the walls and features additionally in the menus and the counter-front tiling – as well as being extended to new, re-usable blue melamine crockery and chopsticks, which set off the food really well.’
Although the offer is mostly takeaway, there was also some demand for eating in, so the new layout needed to incorporate seating to meet that mission, whilst not encouraging too much dwell time, as the offer is predominantly grab-and-go there was no possibility of expansion of the very small space overall, which measures just 21.3 sqm in total. Window seating, plus two standalone tables for four were integrated, featuring loose wooden seating (re-using existing Singaporean stools), plus one new inset banquette in a teak veneer with a yellow seat pad. The banquette also has storage space incorporated beneath the seat. The new tables feature a laminate top in a rich oyster grey, which allows the food and coloured plates to stand out. Small inset planting adds a third colour into the scheme, as well as aiding acoustics and referencing the famously lush greenery of Singapore.
The previous hot food counter, located to the right as customers entered, has been replaced with a new 1.6m-counter directly opposite the entrance, with inset food tray display spaces for the curry puffs, so that people can see as they order, with a till point directly adjoining. The new counter top is a solid surface material, whilst the counter front has been clad in eye-catching and typically Singaporean Dragonera tiles, with the tiling continuing and wrapping round the right hand wall of the space.
A new gantry pelmet in plasterboard with curved timber detailing has been designed to sit above the counter, with the easily-legible menu now visible on three 50” inset illuminated digital screens. This is located well above head height and is clearly visible from the exterior. This particular store also has a step up to the entry, giving the new menu a further height advantage. The curved gantry-top detail – a shape repeated on the back wall – is a nod to the menu’s central item – the curry puff.
Storage was a big part of the new design story and the rear of the new menu and product signage – both on the rear wall and on the gantry – can be used to store items, taking takeaway packaging out of sight, for example, where it had previously been visible to customers. Behind the service counter is a new ground floor additional kitchen area (with the main food prep remaining on the lower-ground level) for sinks, hand-washing and further shelving. At the back of the public area is a condiment station with a tray drop and customer bin. A changeable poster space directly behind this also features as a concealed door to further hidden storage, making use of previously dead space above the stairs. A full-height fridge sits alongside this for customer drinks.
The rear wall of the space features new yellow tiling with a grey grout, wrapped around existing teak timber, which was too high quality to consider replacing. Further food story graphics are also integrated into this wall, along with the Old Chang Kee logo in black. A rear stair, which leads down to the lower ground kitchen area, has been discreetly sectioned off, as the occasional customer had been known to take the stair before, believing it to be a public access route.
Phoenix Wharf also had a graphic remit as part of the refurbishment, redesigning the menu and creating a new poster in a yellow frame for the right-side wall. Newly re-commissioned brand photography – featuring the new melamine serving bowls and plates – works well with the upgraded interior and graphic treatment.
‘After five years of successful trading, our Covent Garden location was in need of a redesign – both to make our grab-and-go offer more appealing, as well as to make operations a little slicker’ client Sandra Leong commented, adding that ‘this was a challenge given the tiny footprint of the site, but Phoenix Wharf were able to take a difficult brief and run with it. The new layout and design certainly have more stopping power than before and our team appreciates a better laid-out store that is operationally easier to maintain. Singaporean food and its accompanying aesthetic is also not well understood in the UK, but Phoenix Wharf put in the effort to research and understand this. I’m excited to use our new-look store as a blueprint for future locations.
Noughts & Ones, the Bristol agency dedicated to empowering planet-conscious e-commerce brands on Shopify, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Matthew Pill as the new Operations Director. This strategic move comes as the agency continues to expand its operations and services in response to the growing demand for sustainable e-commerce solutions.
Matthew Pill, who has been an integral part of the Noughts & Ones team as Senior Developer, will now take on an even more pivotal role in the agency. As Operations Director, Matthew will leverage his extensive technical expertise and industry insight to oversee the day-to-day operations, ensuring the seamless delivery of projects and retainers while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability and purpose.
Noughts & Ones has established itself as a trailblazer in the e-commerce landscape, partnering with forward-thinking brands that prioritise environmental and social responsibility. The appointment of Matthew Pill as Operations Director reinforces the agency’s commitment to excellence and sustainability.
“Matthew’s dedication to our mission and his exceptional technical skills make him the perfect fit for this role,” said Tom Locke, Founder / Sales Director of Noughts & Ones. “As we continue to work with purpose-led brands, Matthew will play a pivotal role in driving our agency’s growth, ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of our clients while adhering to our values.”
In his new role, Matthew will be responsible for optimising project delivery, strengthen team collaboration, and enhance the efficiency of the agency. He will also work closely with clients to ensure that their sustainability and purpose-driven goals are at the forefront of every project.
Matthew Pill commented on his new role, saying, “I am thrilled to be taking on a new role as Operations Director and I couldn’t be more excited about continuing to work with this fantastic team! I’m incredibly proud of the accomplishments we’ve already achieved at Noughts & Ones and I cannot wait for the new opportunities that lie ahead as we look to continue to contribute to a more sustainable future.”
Under Matthew and Tom’s leadership, Noughts & Ones is poised for further growth and innovation in the e-commerce industry, reaffirming its commitment to driving positive change and helping purpose-led brands thrive.
For more information about Noughts & Ones and their sustainable e-commerce solutions, please visit www.noughtsandones.com.
Noughts & Ones is a leading e-commerce agency based in Bristol, UK, specialising in creating purpose-driven and planet-conscious online shopping experiences. With a mission to empower brands that prioritise sustainability and social responsibility, Noughts & Ones delivers innovative e-commerce solutions that drive growth while making a positive impact on the planet.
Through a joint planning process, Squarebird worked with SRLV to deliver a new look and feel to their brand and website that retained their history – bringing them into the modern era with a contemporary design, a slick look, and a site-wide representation of their ethos and values.
SRLV are a firm of chartered accountants, business management specialists, and advisors for corporate and private clients. They deliver quality work and personalised support, underpinning excellence at the very highest level. The ethos, honesty, and nurturing of a family business; the professionalism of a larger organisation – this is SRLV.
Squarebird and SRLV began by collaborating to explore the purpose behind the rebrand, outlining the goals they wanted to achieve, and cementing the need to build awareness of their brand and specialist services. Three core objectives arose from this exercise:
After the objectives were realised and finalised, Squarebird began work on a redevelopment proposal that covered brand, website, and collateral elements.
SRLV wanted to preserve their existing heritage and branding. This was brought across through small details across the site, such as the sage colour of their logo – a logo which was carefully refined to showcase the different components of their brand identity, themed around their relationships with customers and clients.
The concepts behind the logo design were proposed as a solution to extend through the rest of the redevelopment – a proposal that SRLV agreed with, beginning the implementation of their core sense of integrity, values, and family into a professional, contemporary digital presence.
“We worked through a concept stage, creating multiple logos that ranged from safe to disruptive. The design that lured them in was dynamic, with the potential to expand into wider branding. It could animate to spell out the letters SRLV and be used to create a bespoke pattern that’s applicable throughout the brand identity. It was an enjoyable process with multiple avenues but when they saw the one, they just knew.” – Alec, Lead Designer.
“From the moment we first set foot in their offices, it was abundantly clear this was a firm we were eager to collaborate with. SRLV defies the conventional norms of an accountancy firm; they embody a unique blend of professionalism and approachability that sets them apart.
Beyond the expected attributes of a top-tier firm, SRLV exude a cool, down-to-earth demeanour that aligns perfectly with their diverse and stylish clientele. Our mission was to capture these distinctive qualities and breathe life into them through a comprehensive brand evolution and the creation of a cutting-edge digital presence.
Our dedicated team invested tireless effort into not only meeting but surpassing the needs and aspirations of SRLV’s partners. The resulting project meets present demands and is proofed for the future, ensuring SRLV remains at the forefront of their industry.
A special mention is due to Henrietta Atkins Consulting Limited, SRLV’s trusted Strategic Marketing Consultancy, who seamlessly collaborated with Squarebird throughout the project. Their invaluable support and teamwork played a pivotal role in achieving a flawless outcome that perfectly encapsulates the essence of SRLV’s exceptional brand.” – Nick Bird, Managing Partner
Squarebird brought to life the vibrant contemporary culture of SRLV through design and content, demonstrated the staff’s diversity, and highlighted the quality of the firm as an employer of both graduates and qualified professionals. This fed into wider support of marketing activities like email and social media.
The redevelopment concluded, resulting in a newly envisioned brand and website that create a premium experience, luxury feel, and demonstrate the experience and expertise of SRLV’s staff.
“There is a first-class team at Squarebird. It was a pleasure working with them. They helped us develop a new brand logo and a full website overhaul, taking on board our vision and giving excellent advice along the way. I highly recommend them.” – Grant Court, SRLV Partner
View the full case study here.
We are so please to announce that we won three awards at the UK Agency Awards 2023, held in London on September 21.
We were named Best Large PPC Agency in the UK, and also won Innovative Agency of the Year and Best Campaign for our work to drive revenue for our lovely client, David Salisbury.
The UK Agency Awards celebrate the best agencies working across all verticals, from creativity and design to digital and technology, from marketing and advertising to public relations and media.
The judges praised Launch for its focus on our people; “It is great to see that this agency’s focus extends beyond just tracking performance, with a genuine emphasis on the happiness and well-being of employees, which is truly commendable, and it is clear to see the positive impact this has has on the agency and the results the team have achieved.”
Our fab founder, Jaye, was delighted with the awards; “Our mission is to be the happiest performance agency. I believe that happy people do great work, and by empowering our team to do their best, we can get great results for our clients. So, I am absolutely thrilled that as we enter the final quarter of the year the whole team is recognised for their hard work.”
User testing is analogous to asking your friends to try out a product you’ve produced, to put it simply. Consider creating a toy or game and wanting to determine whether it is enjoyable and simple to play. Similar user testing is done for websites and apps. People who didn’t build it check it out and report back on what works and what doesn’t. This makes it better and simpler for everyone to utilise websites and apps. London-based digital consultancy WeAgile will conduct user testing on your new website or app if you are one of our very fortunate and satisfied customers. Why not reach out to us right away to learn more? But now – onto User Testing.
To make user testing feasible and effective, you’ll need to take a number of actions. Here is a brief explanation of each of the steps; we will go into greater detail on some of them in the blog.
This could be a brand-new website, app, or other digital product created to address a particular user demand. The testing procedure is built upon this phase. Simply put, there won’t be anything to test without the product (even if it’s an MVP).
Based on your objectives, pick the testing approach that is best for you. (Read more about down below). Depending on the insights you want to gain, this may involve usability testing, A/B testing, or even eye-tracking experiments. Each approach presents a distinct viewpoint on user engagement and pleasure.
Find the people that most closely resemble your target market. You can be confident that the feedback you receive correctly represents the experiences and preferences of your real users by selecting participants who are representative of them. Trust us when we say it. Below, we go into further depth regarding several locations where you might discover your test subjects.
Select a suitable area to carry out the experiments. If you’re conducting online testing, this could be a controlled environment, a real-world scenario, or a remote environment. The setting ought to reflect the way users would naturally engage with your digital work. Most likely, the people who take part in your test will test your website or app from home, on their own schedule. Just always tell them when they have to turn in their results, so keep reading.
Find out how long it will take each participant to finish the test. By evaluating how long customers generally spend navigating through your digital product, you can make sure that the testing period is reasonable and doesn’t pressure participants.
Give the chosen participants access to your digital product and the essential instructions. Sharing a website or app’s link may be necessary for this. Consistent outcomes across participants are ensured by clear criteria.
Gather and assess the information and comments gathered during the testing process. This entails assessing user interactions, watching how they behave, and taking into account their input. To learn how consumers interact with your new app or website, look for patterns, insights, and pain areas.
Given that we discussed a variety of testing techniques in the preceding section, you may be asking how to do user testing for your product. There are various methods for conducting user testing because every product, prototype, and feature is unique — just like every firm. We’ll examine the three most popular ways WeAgile, a web design and development company in London, has had tremendous success with. There are various approaches that may be utilised for user testing.
In A/B testing, you split up your test subjects into groups (which could be two or more) and have them try out several iterations of your product to determine which they prefer. This enables you to determine whether version delivers your clients a better user experience and makes them happy. A/B testing involves exposing your clients (or test subjects) to various versions of your product. It’s comparable like testing various ice cream flavours to determine which one they prefer. You get to observe what actually excites your customers rather than assuming based on what you know about them. Even if you are confident in your knowledge of your clients, A/B testing may still surprise you and reveal something intriguing. There is a reason why huge companies (like Facebook) do A/B testing regularly.
It does sound a lot like user testing, don’t you think? It is not, however, the same. Before getting into the specifics, let’s first examine the distinction. The entire range of client interactions with your website or app is captured during user testing. This may include — from when they first come into contact with the object until when they cease using it, their thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes, reactions, and behaviours related to the item. On the other hand, usability testing focuses on how and to what extent a client uses your product to accomplish a certain goal. Even if it helps to make the user experience as a whole, this isn’t the whole journey.
Giving a product, prototype, or feature to actual customers (or your test subjects) allows you to gauge how user-friendly it is. Usability is the ability of a product to be useful and simple to use. You can determine how naturally your actual users find your product, prototype, or feature by conducting usability testing.
Beta testing happens in the last stages of developing your website or app. It occurs when you present your finished product to your clients and target market and allow them to closely examine how it will look when it is ready for release. Prior to entering the market, this testing phase serves as the final customer approval.
When should beta testing be used? It’s ideal when you’re almost done creating your product and want to get one more opinion before releasing it to the public. This step gives you the chance to make any last-minute adjustments to the user experience, making sure it’s excellent for your clients. Other user tests throughout the design process ought to have been conducted before beginning the beta testing phase. This is so that only the most significant and final product upgrades are subjected to beta testing. By getting client feedback beforehand, you’ll probably only need small changes—if any—during beta testing. By using this tactical approach, you can be confident that your product is polished and prepared to shine.
A variety of measurements used in user testing are used to assess the usability and efficiency of your website or app. These metrics offer insights for improvement by quantifying user interactions, engagement, and satisfaction. Here are some metrics from user testing that you can find helpful for your website or app. Keep in mind, though, that not all of these will apply to your digital project because every website and app is different (in its own way). These metrics offer insightful data on how people interact with your websites and apps, assisting in the development of improvements and optimisations that will result in a flawless and pleasurable user experience.
Task Success Rate: this measures the percentage of tasks users successfully complete during testing, indicating how well your design supports their goals.
Time on Task: the time users spend on specific tasks. This could indicate how intuitive and efficient your design is.
Error Rate: this metric calculates the frequency of user errors during tasks, shedding light on confusing or challenging aspects of your product.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): for links or buttons, CTR measures user interaction by showing how often they click on these elements.
Bounce Rate: for websites, this measures the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page, indicating a lack of engagement.
Navigation Flow: it maps users’ journey through your website or app, revealing any confusing pathways or friction points.
Satisfaction Ratings: these are often obtained through post-test surveys; these ratings provide insights into users’ overall satisfaction with the experience. You could also do short (or in-depth) interviews with the test participants if the time and resources allow.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): this measures users’ likelihood to recommend your website or app to others (be it their friends, family or promotion on social media channels). This reflects their overall satisfaction – the more satisfied they are, the more they will promote it – as simple as that.
Conversion Rate: for e-commerce sites, this measures the proportion of visitors who complete desired actions, such as making a purchase.
Scroll Depth: tracks how far users scroll down a page, showing if important content is being missed.
Time to Complete Tasks: it is what it says on the tin. This quantifies the time users/test participants need to finish tasks, revealing potential obstacles or ease of use.
User testing works like a detective, swiftly identifying the precise issue so that your team doesn’t spend time and resources on the wrong thing. It involves making a quick investment in the appropriate cause. Your product, feature, or prototype may be simple to use for your team and designers, but it could not be for your actual customers. User testing reveals areas in which your product might be more appropriate for your target market. It highlights the areas where people might become perplexed or irritated. Since user testing takes place prior to the release of your product, you can utilise this information to keep making improvements until you’ve created a user experience (UX) that you’re truly proud of.
To get insightful feedback on your digital products, you must enlist consumers to test them. If you’ve decided to attempt to do it on your own, here’s how and where to do it.
Your Network: Start by reaching out to friends, family, and colleagues who fit your target user profile. They can provide initial insights and help you refine your testing process.
Social Media: Post a call for participants on your social media accounts or in relevant groups. Explain what you’re looking for and the perks of participating (e.g. an Amazon voucher or a free subscription to your app once it launches). Platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, and X can be effective.
Online Communities: Participate in forums, discussion boards, or online communities related to your product’s niche. Engage with users, build rapport, and then invite them to test your product.
User Testing Platforms: Websites like UserTesting.com, Userlytics, and TryMata allow you to recruit users based on specific demographics. These platforms handle the recruitment process for you – easy but not always cheap. There are a couple of more you can have a look at – Helio.app (formerly Verifyapp.com), UXTweak.com.
Email Subscribers: If you have an email list, send out an invitation to your subscribers. They’re likely already interested in your product and might be willing to participate.
In-Person Events: Attend relevant meetups, conferences, or workshops. Engage with attendees and invite those who align with your target audience to participate in testing.
Universities: If applicable, approach universities and colleges to recruit students who match your user profile. Many students are open to participating in user testing.
Local Communities: Utilise local bulletin boards, community centres, or coffee shops to post recruitment flyers. This can help you find participants within your area.
Referrals: Ask your current participants if they know someone else who might be interested in testing your product. Referrals often lead to engaged participants.
Paid Advertisements: Consider running targeted online ads to reach your desired user demographic. Platforms like Facebook Ads and Google Ads can help you reach a wider audience.
User testing enables us to improve, innovate, and create digital solutions that genuinely resonate with our audience with every click, scroll, and interaction. By embracing the art and science of user testing, we not only produce useful products but also experiences that have a lasting impression on users and the digital world. Let us at WeAgile join you on this exploration as we work to improve customer satisfaction, elevate our design, and push the envelope of what is conceivable for websites and mobile applications.
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